Elderly Day Care Costs

If you have aging parents who wish to remain at home but don’t realize they need need supervision during the day, elderly day care is one option which you can use to meet your parents’ needs while giving you peace of mind that your parents are being looked after. This type of respite care can also bridge the care gap until your parents are ready to transition into an assisted living or memory care community.

Elderly day care facilities offer meals, activities and some healthcare services within a supervised setting, and your parents aren’t required to attend every day or stay all day. Typically you can expect to pay a daily rate, and because some facilities may receive state grants to fund their services, your daily fee may be subsidized.

In the 2015 Cost of Care Survey conducted by Genworth Financial, elderly day care showed an increase of 5.94% compared to the 2014 costs and the national median monthly rate is $69 per day. Families who use elderly day care services can typically expect a 2.79% annual increase in the daily rate.

The table below shows the range of monthly elderly day care costs per day by state in 2015*.

The states with the most expensive daily median elderly day care costs are:

Vermont - $124

Alaska - $122

Idaho - $116

Maine - $108

New Mexico - $99

The states with the least expensive daily median elderly day care costs are:

Mississippi - $35

Texas - $35

Alabama - $36

Wyoming - $50

North Carolina - $51

The median annual cost of elderly day care is $17,904. Though this price may give you sticker shock, in the long term, elderly day care is an investment that is cost effective; the annual median cost of assisted living is $43,200. And in addition to your parents being able to remain at home for a bit longer, they will also experience a higher quality of life thanks to the social opportunities available at an elderly day care facility.